by Terri Hunter-Davis

More than 50 presenters put their research in the spotlight for the annual Research and Clinical Excellence Day, Oct. 10 in Cole Hall and Millberry Union. The all-school event featured Paul Krebsbach, DDS, PhD, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry, as plenary speaker.

The event drew upon our own faculty for two enlightening talks: Yvonne Kapila, DDS, PhD, chair of the Department of Periodontics, gave the faculty research lecture; and the Spotlight on Clinical Excellence featured Arun Sharma, BDS, MS, director of the prosthodontics residency program. Dr. Kapila spoke on “Microbes and Microbiome — Unlocking Their Potential to Address Oral Diseases.” Dr. Sharma spoke on “The role of Osseointegrated implants in reconstruction following treatment of oral cancer.”

A highlight of the event was the naming of Amnon Sharir, PhD, DVM, as the John C. Greene Society Mentor of the Year.

"Mentoring the next generation is a critical task for a faculty member or any working scientist, for that matter," observed Thomas Lang, associate dean for research. "In addition to doing our own research, we have to do our part to make sure that the enterprise continues in the future. This recognition from Dr. Sharir’s mentees shows how seriously he takes this important role and how well he carries it out."

Presentation Winners

*Two-way tie